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SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

April 22, 2005

Greg Owen

HOUSTON, TEXAS

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Greg, thank you for joining us for a couple minutes, following up a great round of 67 yesterday with a 69 today, put yourself in great position heading into the weekend. Maybe we could start with some opening comments.

GREG OWEN: I played really well yesterday, missed three putts from inside four feet for 67, so it could have been really low. I tried to come back with a positive attitude. I didn't play the first eight holes really well. I really scrambled around, lucky enough to keep it at level par, and then from 9 onwards I played really well again, and I had some good chances and luckily I'm playing good and I'm enjoying everything.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Talk about your first season over here on the PGA TOUR as a rookie. You've won some tournaments on the European Tour and you're playing well this year on the PGA TOUR, your best finish 3rd at Pebble Beach.

GREG OWEN: Yeah, I'd like to have a few more Top 10s. All in all I'm making plenty of cuts and I'm playing well. I'm really enjoying myself, been made to feel really welcome here. I look forward to every new week.

This is a new challenge to me. I've never been to these courses before. Every tournament is a new tournament, so I'm thrilled to have a chance to play on the PGA TOUR and I just hope I play well.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: A lot of rookies talk about finding their way. They play a handful of tournaments their first year and then the second year once they've had some success they kind of like to pick and choose what they like to play and what courses suit them.

GREG OWEN: I think Pebble Beach settled me down, gave me a great start to the year. I could relax and didn't have to worry about my card. I can play a few tournaments now. I want to play as many as I can just to get to see them. I'm a rookie out here but I know what it's all about. I've been on the European Tour for seven years. I'm a little experienced in that way.

I know not to try and chase tournaments and get in everything, I've got to take a few weeks off here and there, but I'm just looking forward to each week as it comes.

Q. Have you gotten a place over here or are you just going back and forth?

GREG OWEN: Yeah, strange story really. Beginning of last year I sold an old house and I had some spare money, and our pound was quite strong against your dollar. I'll invest in a property over here and maybe have a practice facility in the winter because between November and January I don't get a chance to practice, especially around the greens, short game. I thought I'll invest in a property and just get a practice place. That was even before I thought about coming on the Tour. I was injured last year, and I just needed a change of scenery. So I have a place in Windermere in Orlando. That turned out really well. I actually just moved in between the first and second stage of Q-school, so it was good timing and everything seems to have fallen into place.

Q. Did you buy somebody's place?

GREG OWEN: No, it was brand new built. We came over in March of last year and saw a site and saw the kind of house. It's a little different than it is in England. It's a lot easier.

It was good, nice, and we're really happy where we are and I've got a great practice facility at Orange County National now, which I believe Q-school is there this year. They give me use of the range and they're very friendly, and I got to meet some good friends and play some good golf there.

Q. You said you missed all those short putts yesterday. Do you try to come back with a good attitude today? Is that something you struggle with or is that one of your strengths?

GREG OWEN: I'm a very confident player tee to green. I have moments on the greens where things can go a little strange and go off a little bit, and yesterday was one of those. I gave myself plenty of chances. I holed a few from 15 feet, 12 feet and then just missed a couple from short. Today I took my time a little bit more and was a bit more confident. I think I missed one putt from five feet on 9, and that was the only one I missed. Obviously it's worked and I'm proud of myself to have the strength to come back after missing those short ones yesterday.

Q. You said you have moments. What kind of happens to you?

GREG OWEN: I just lose track of the pace of the greens and just hit the odd off putt every now and then. I think everybody does. I hit a lot of greens, and when you hit that many greens you're not going to hole all the putts. You see other guys chipping up close and holing them from three or four feet and you think "they're doing more than what I'm doing,' and it's just a different way of playing, I suppose.

Q. Did you have anybody that mentored you over there or are you close with Faldo?

GREG OWEN: No, my mentor is my coach, and he's a good friend of mine, David Ridley. I went to see him as an amateur when I was 15 years old, just trying to get through the junior ranks there. I left school and I got a job in the pro shop under David, and he taught me how to teach, he taught me how to play golf. He was a player back in the early '70s, and I've been with him ever since. It's 18 years, and the relationship is really strong. He's coming in in a couple of weeks just to make sure everything is working well. As far as I'm concerned I can't see me changing from him ever.

Q. How well does this place set up for your game, this course?

GREG OWEN: Perfect. You need to drive the ball well. You need to drive it long. If I'm playing well, I've got a great chance this weekend. I've just got to hole a few more putts and take chances, no silly mistakes. That's what it's all about. Take the chances when you get them. I'm driving the ball really well. I'm just looking forward to the weekend.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we could go through your round and we'll take the last question. You started on the front side, first birdie came on No. 2, the par 4.

GREG OWEN: I hit a 7-iron to about four feet. That was nice to get out of the way.

Bogey on 7, I missed the fairway. I didn't play well the first eight holes and I missed a couple of fairways and had to get up-and-down from inside 100 yards a few times. Just that one I just lipped out for par. I just drove it in the left rough, couldn't reach the green. There's a couple of holes out here you need to hit the fairway and that was one of them.

Came back with birdies on the two par 5s on the back. Hit two great 3-woods onto the middle of both greens. I had a good eagle chance on 15. I had a great eagle chance from 15 feet, hit a great putt, just didn't go in. So two nice birdies.

Then hit 9-iron to about 12 feet at the last. Nice way to finish.

Q. A lot of times it's hard for people to get adjusted first season and they just have a lot of problems. Why do you think the adjustment has been so seemingly smooth?

GREG OWEN: Because over the winter I practiced, I was in Florida practicing. That made a big difference. My short game stayed where it was from Q-school to come out here, so I think that's a big thing.

I also think that -- I just like it here. I've been made to feel really welcome. My attitude is good. I'm enjoying it. I'm smiling a lot, which is unusual for me, and it is just great fun. It couldn't be better. We get treated so well out here, it's unbelievable.

Q. Did you have any close friends that were playing over here that maybe helped you adjust or gave you tips or anything like that?

GREG OWEN: No, not that I can think of. I've got a good caddie now. I met him at Pebble Beach. He used to caddie for Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley. He's very experienced. He's added a bit of another dimension to my game, his experience and my game. We're combining well and we're doing well.

Q. What's his name?

GREG OWEN: J.P. Fitzgerald.

Q. Next stop the Ryder Cup?

GREG OWEN: Definitely, if I can. I'm moving up the World Rankings, which is great. I think I've moved up 90 odd places in the last eight weeks. I was trying like mad to try and do that in Europe, but it was just very difficult, so another good finish this week and we'll get into -- hopefully get into the PGA and try and qualify for the Open and the U.S. Open.

Q. So you've got Clarke's old caddie. Have you thought about trying any of his pants?

GREG OWEN: Thought about it and I've certainly said no. That's not me. I just try and play golf. I mean, I'm not out here to look fancy or anything like that. I just want to play golf, play well. There's too much attention for me. I'll stay in the back and try and make a few birdies and pars and catch the guys. I don't want to be out front and getting noticed all the time.

Q. Better start making fewer putts then.

GREG OWEN: No, I want to be noticed, but I just don't want to be that noticed. He was never going to get lost today. He had a bright pair of pants on today. They're too much for me. I'm just not that way.

Q. Simpler tastes?

GREG OWEN: Yeah, definitely. I mean, I might look a little bland, but I'm quite happy.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Greg, thanks a lot.

End of FastScripts.

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